Pushing On
by heartbeat7
Summary: To survive means giving up everything they once knew to be true. The world isn't clean and it isn't merciful anymore. The rules of life have changed. Happiness is only figurative. It's hard to think about anything besides surviving, so it's lucky that he didn't really have to think about loving her. He just kind of did.
1. Trust and Mistrust

"Easy, easy! Relax!" Luke calls out to the girl only a few feet away, ducked behind a tree.

"I don't have anything so just leave me alone!" she yells back. She's barely visible as she tucks herself behind the trunk.

Luke shares an apprehensive glance with Clementine. The young girl has a scowl on her lips. She shakes her head. Luke turns back to the girl and holds his hands up above his shoulders and out. He then kneels down and drops his machete, kicking it a few feet away with the toe of his boot. "Relax" he says, gentler this time. The two wait in agonizing silence. Luke isn't even sure if the girl is still there. She was a ghost in the trees before and she could have easily taken off running between them already.

"Luke…" Clementine starts.

"Hang on" he whispers back. He watches with a small smile as a sliver of the girl appears around the trunk of a tree, not the one he had assumed she was behind, but a tree the same. "We're not going to hurt you" he tries to bait her forward.

The girl narrows her eyes on the two of them. "Where are your others?"

"Back at camp" he says lightly. "It's just me and Clem right now. It's alright."

"I don't want trouble" she says, letting just a little more of herself appear.

"We won't give you any. Right Clem?" he laughs.

Clementine's eyes narrow on the girl as she steps fully out from behind the tree. "She has a weapon" she tells Luke, eyes on the metal bat strapped to the girl's navy backpack.

"It's alright" Luke assures her.

"Luke…" Clementine is still apprehensive. She tenses when the girl steps forward, eyes shifting towards Luke's machete. She takes a little bit of comfort knowing that she could reach it in a second if she had to. Luke has lost his mind.

"What's your name?" he asks the girl when she's a few steps away. His eyes drift over her grey crewneck, the name of a university across the front in black. Her gaze flickers back and forth between the two of them, still unsure.

After a pregnant pause, the girl's eyes meet Luke's. "Ollie" she answers. "Who are you?"

"Luke and this is Clementine."

At the sound of her name, Clementine frowns. "We should go" she nearly growls. Her eyes are narrowed on Ollie. But Ollie makes no move to come any closer or make herself a threat. Clementine relaxes just slightly.

"Why are you alone?"

"Who says I'm alone?" the girl retorts after a nearly invisible pause.

Luke smiles softly. "Well you're not the best of liars." The girl flushes and tucks a strand of unruly, curly hair behind her ear. Most of it is pulled back into an elastic, but a few strands are escaping. "Are you hungry?" Luke tries again.

Ollie cocks her head to the side, her cheek nearly resting on her shoulder. "What do you want from me?"

Luke shrugs. "Nothing."

Clementine rolls her eyes. She glances behind them and then returns her attention on the stranger. They should go. They should have left a long time ago. This girl is dangerous.

"Then go" Ollie says, void of emotion.

"You'd follow us" Clementine snaps. The two girls lock eyes for a moment. Clementine glares and Ollie just watches her carefully.

Luke feels the tension and steps between the two. "We want to help you" he tries again. "We can offer you a hot meal."

"Why?" Ollie asks, warily.

Luke shrugs. "Because we were all like you at one time, everyone can use a friend nowadays."

Ollie is still cautious, but her stomach twists painfully at the mention of a hot meal. It's been days since she's had anything to eat. She can't remember the last hot meal she's had. Her eyes flicker to the machete once again and then to the little girl who still eyes her like a monster. She doesn't really trust anyone who is offering something and asking for nothing in return, but she doesn't have much of a choice. Slowly, and still unsure, Ollie nods her head. Luke smiles warmly and picks up his machete. Ollie watches him the whole time, her fingers twitch and she's preparing to grab her bat, but he doesn't make a move to attack. Instead, he starts leading her through the woods. Ollie walks on his right, Clementine on his left.

"So," Luke starts to try to break the awkwardness between the three, "Where are you from? You don't sound like you're a southerner."

Ollie shakes her head. "I'm not" she says simply.

When she doesn't elaborate, Clementine grows impatient. She's coming with them for a free meal and yet she won't even tell them where she is from. "Where are you from?" she asks but the tone of her voice makes it sound like less of a question.

Ollie is taken off guard by Clementine. For such a young girl, she has a strong presence. "Chicago" Ollie answers.

Luke's eyes widen dramatically. "Chicago?" he repeats, not believing. "How did you get all the way out here?"

"It's kind of a long story" Ollie says with a sigh.

"Well," Luke says, not disheartened at all, "I guess you can tell me over dinner." While Luke has a kinder approach, Ollie feels that keeping her story a secret isn't exactly an option. And she doesn't feel like she's in a position to deny them anything. For a moment, she debates running. If she can get away before they make it back to this camp then she has a chance. But the pain in her stomach and the tiredness in all of her muscles keeps her with the man and the girl.

Ollie grows more and more nervous as they walk. "How many of you are there?"

"Eight including me and Clem" Luke answers.

"And you think six other people are going to be ok with… this?"

Luke kind of shrugs but he had been thinking along the same lines. He can already imagine a few people putting up a good fight against Ollie. He tries not to let it show on his face. "We've invited people in before. Actually, Clem just joined us not too long ago."

Ollie's eyebrows furrow. For someone who was originally an outsider, Clem is surprisingly protective of her new group. "And they accepted you?" Ollie asks, turning to Clementine.

Clementine doesn't hide the frown on her face. "They locked me in a shed."

All color drains from Ollie's face. Luke awkwardly cups the back of his neck. "The circumstances were a little different" he hurriedly explains. "It'll be alright. They may be a little… defensive at first, but I'll vogue for you."

Ollie looks to Clementine. "Did Luke vogue for you?"

Clementine shifts her gaze away. "He was one of the only ones."

Despite her growing anxiety, Ollie keeps walking with Luke and Clementine. If Luke's word will get a little girl thrown into a shed it may get her killed. That's not exactly a comforting thought. But still, a real meal is waiting for her if she can make it past the group. She's been through worse and had to fight harder to survive before. And this isn't an opportunity she can afford to pass up. The days of hunger and exhaustion are starting to catch up with her. She's reached the point where she's physically unable to hunt. She's too slow with lack of energy and her movements aren't as careful as they once were. She needs a meal more than Luke knows.

The sun is setting when they reach the cabin. It's in a small clearing in the woods and Ollie is nervous to step out of the tree line and into the view of the cabin. She takes a few steps forward but keeps her eyes locked on the window with a small light coming from it. Luke notices her apprehension and hangs back as well. "You go on ahead Clem. I'll be right there." Clementine shoots the girl one more look before hurrying up the steps and in. "You alright?" Luke asks Ollie, carefully reading her face.

"Yeah" she says after a moment. She locks eyes with Luke and prays that she can trust him. She needs to be able to trust him. "It's a nice place."

"Thanks. It's kind of like home" he says with a small smile.

Ollie laughs just slightly. "I haven't seen a home, or even a place with walls and windows, in months."

Luke's forehead creases with concern. "Have you been in the woods all this time?" Ollie only nods. "By yourself?" Again, she nods. Luke's frown deepens. Ever since the beginning, even before he built up the rest of the group, he had Nick. He always had someone. He can't imagine what it's like to fight off lurkers and starvation all on your own. Heck, he's surprised Clementine managed it for the day or so she was alone. But to be on your own for months… "Just how long have you been alone?"

Ollie sighs. She doesn't really want to get into this. Not right now. And not with this stranger. But she owes him and the only thing she has to offer are answers. "A little more than a year."

Luke wants to say more. He wants to say something comforting. But what do you say? He isn't sure if she chose to be on her own or if she lost people. Everyone has lost people so he's sure that's it. He can't picture losing everyone. He opens his mouth to say something but thankfully he doesn't have to.

The door to the cabin opens and the entire group pours out onto the porch. Once they spot Luke and Ollie, they come charging down and into the grass. Ollie recoils seeing that more than one person has a gun. Luke notices as well and takes a tentative step between the group and the girl he found. Before he can say anything, Rebecca is fuming. "Another one Luke? Every time we send you out you keep bringing people back!"

"She could be one of Carver's" someone says. Ollie isn't sure who Carver is but she has a feeling it's a bad thing to be associated with him.

"Who are you?" one of the men with guns yells at her. He aims the shotgun right at her temple. He's about the same age as Luke but he doesn't hold himself the way Luke does. He isn't confident and he looks like a kid holding a weapon.

"Ollie" she answers as calmly as she can. She knows how she looks in their eyes. She's too old to play innocent and naïve. They don't trust her and they have no reason to. The bat strapped to her navy backpack doesn't help her one bit. She keeps her eyes on them, trying to show as much truth as possible and hoping they can read her.

"I found her in the woods. She's alright" Luke steps in.

"We can't keep doing this!" Rebecca, the main protestor, argues. "We can't trust her."

"Why? She's done nothing wrong."

Ollie feels like she should step in and not let Luke fight her battle for her, but her eyes are locked on the other man with the gun pointed at her. She doesn't want to look away until it's lowered.

"We don't have a reason not to trust her. She's been honest with me and she hasn't caused any trouble. We were all like her once. Even you Rebecca and we trusted you. Come on, she's alone."

"Bec…"

"Don't Alvin! I'm not putting us and this baby in danger. I won't go back to Carver. I won't!" Rebecca glares at Ollie who has her own eyes fixed on Nick.

Luke scans the faces, trying to find someone else to back him up. He glances at Clementine but she's glaring just as hard as Rebecca. He skips those two and sees the slightest bit of sympathy in Carlos. "Carlos?"

When his name is called, Carlos looks over at the girl. He takes in everything about her just like he did with Clementine. The girl is older, which is something that he doesn't like. She's old enough to know how to manipulate if she wanted to, not like Clementine. But as he looks her over, he's more and more positive that the girl isn't one of Carver's. She's worse for wear. Her sweatshirt has a few holes in it along the hem, exposing pale flesh. Her face is dirty and marred with a scar above her left eyebrow. There's hunger in her eyes and he pities her. "I'm willing to give her a chance" he says to Luke, watching the way both she and he smile a little.

With this ally, Luke looks again and calls on Pete. Pete is the end line decider. If he accepts Ollie, Nick and Alvin will fall in line as well. That's the best that he can hope for.

Pete steps up close to Ollie and Nick is forced to lower his gun. No longer a target, Ollie feels safe moving her eyes away from Nick. She sees the other woman, Rebecca, glaring daggers at her but the others seem unsure. Next to her, Nick is the most hostile. She watches the older man approach her and stop when they are almost toe to toe. "Ollie right?" he asks. She nods her head, not sure if he likes her or not yet. "How old are you?"

"Twenty" she answers honestly.

Pete nods. "And you said you're alone?"

Pete watches her very carefully as she answers. He looks at her eyes, her face, her lips. He looks for any signs of a lie. "Yes" she answers. He keeps watching her for a minute more. The girl shifts under his intense gaze, feeling uncomfortable. Only then does Pete step back, a small smile on his lips.

"I believe her. I don't think she's any harm. Not for a night at least."

Rebecca shakes her head defiantly but knows she's outnumbered. "Whatever. When we all get killed because of Luke's acts of charity you can blame yourselves." With that, she storms back into the house.

"Come on" Luke says, pulling Ollie along with a large smile. "Let's get you that meal."


	2. Got Your Back

Luke, Pete, and Ollie are the only ones in the kitchen. The two men watch incredulously and with a little bit of pity as the girl practically inhales a bowl of soup. Luke wishes he could offer her another but he knows that's not a good idea if he wants the others to accept her. And he's not sure Pete would be ok with that either.

"So, Chicago?" Pete asks. Ollie nods with a spoon between her lips. She tilts the bowl to get the last of the soup on her spoon and slurps it up eagerly. "How in the hell did ya get out here?"

Ollie pushes the bowl away. She knows she owes them and she's not willing to lie to people who have shown her nothing but kindness, a little bit of hesitation and distrust, but kindness all the same. "I was at school" she starts. "I went to Loyola." She motions to her sweatshirt that bares the same name. Ollie smiles sadly at it. She was just supposed to be a college student, fooling around and getting broke. She wasn't supposed to be fighting the walking dead and struggling to survive. "I was at school when… well, when it all started to go to hell. They closed down the campus and told us we couldn't leave. And then people inside the campus started turning and it got really bad." She shakes her head, trying to shake off the feeling that comes with the memories. "Really, really bad. My dorm kind of went on lock down and we were doing alright for a while. But we ran out of food within a month. We started making runs to the cafeteria. A group of us used to go out and bring back as much as we could. A lot of us died that way. I knew we couldn't keep doing it and we were running out of food anyway so I told the others that we needed to make a run for it.

"They didn't believe me though. Or maybe they didn't want to. I tried for two weeks to get them to leave. We were starving by that point. But they wouldn't leave. They were sure help was coming. But I knew that no one was going to rescue us. There was no one left to rescue us. So I left."

"Why didn't you stay in Chicago?" Luke asks.

Ollie shakes her head and when her blue eyes meet his brown ones, he sees a level of pain that even through all of this hell he hasn't seen before. "Because Chicago isn't like the south. Believe me, it's bad here but it's so much worse there. There are a lot more walkers. Lots more. Chicago was a big city. Nearly everyone turned in those first days. And those of us that didn't had a really hard time surviving. Chicago is different. It's a city. Nothing grows. The only food we had was what was already there. And you guys have no idea what a Chicago winter is like. Just as many people died in the winter, without power and without heat, as did with the walkers. I'm extremely lucky to have made it out. A lot of people didn't" her voice trails off.

Pete shares a look with Luke. "So what's your plan now?"

Ollie kind of shrugs. "The same as anyone else: survive."

"Well you're welcome to a night with us. Can't offer you a bed though so you'll have to make do with the floor."

"It's more than I have now" Ollie says with a smile. "But I don't think the rest of your group would appreciate me staying."

Luke shrugs. "They'll come around. They're just hesitant but they'll come to accept you."

"It's alright" Ollie politely refuses. "I only came for a meal. Thank you very much. I appreciate it more than you know." She stands, pushes in her chair, and shifts her backpack on her shoulders.

"You sure you want to take off in the dark?" Pete asks, eyeing the window. He knows as well as anyone else the night is the most dangerous time. A lot of things can hide in the shadows, people and lurkers alike.

"Yes, I'll be alright."

Luke knows things are different now but he can't help but be reminded of the days before all of this when he would bring a girl home from a date. He always walked her to the door if he didn't bring her home. And he can't fight the instinct to do the same with Ollie. She gives him a strange look when he follows behind her and he cups the back of his neck, feeling his ears burn. The embarrassment doesn't stop him from following her all the way to the porch. "Be careful, alright?" he says awkwardly.

Ollie nods. "Thank you again Luke."

He watches her jog down the steps and doesn't go back into the cabin until she has disappeared into the woods. A part of him wants to see that she's safe. Another part wants to make sure that she doesn't come back with Carver by her side. After another moment, he steps back into the cabin and locks the door behind him.

Everyone is waiting in the living room. All except for Sarah who is once again upstairs somewhere. Rebecca stands from the couch. "What the hell was that about Luke?"

"Rebecca, I'm not gonna fight with you about this. She needed help and now she's gone so relax."

"Relax? She could be leading Carver to us right now!" she snaps.

"Bec, calm down. It's not good for you or the baby." With a little bit of coaxing and a hand on her shoulder, Alvin is able to lead her back down to the couch.

Carlos waits a moment and then asks, "So she's not staying?"

Luke shakes his head. "I offered. She wanted to go off on her own." He shakes his head again. He can't imagine why anyone would want to go off alone. She didn't seem like the lone wolf type. Maybe it was the way the group reacted to her. She's probably just scared. Luke feels guilty letting her leave without putting up more of a fight.

"Good" Nick says, arms crossed over his chest. Luke is quick to shoot him a glare. The two stare each other down for a moment before Nick looks away.

The little meeting in the living room breaks up after Luke has made it clear that the girl left and isn't coming back. Carlos heads upstairs, probably to find Sarah and make sure she's asleep. The rest follow his lead and retreat to their beds. Clementine stays, seeing as her bed is the couch which Luke and Pete are sitting on. "You think we made a mistake letting her go?"

Pete shrugs. "I don't know Luke. It was her choice. She coulda been a help or she coulda been another mouth to feed. I don't know."

Luke's gaze flickers to the door. "You think she'll be ok?"

"Yeah, that I do know. She got herself all the way down here on her own. I figure she's got a good handle on things." Pete stands and stretches. "I'm gonna get some sleep. You two should do the same."

Luke would like to stay up a little longer. He's not sure why but he's having trouble pulling his eyes away from the door. But he can feel Clementine's gaze on his back and he knows without her saying so that she wants him out. He feels his muscles strain as he stands. He should probably get some sleep as well. Just as he stands, he hears a soft tap on the porch. Clementine and Luke share a glance. He steps towards the door slowly and quietly, resting his hand on his machete. He ducks and just barely glances through the window. "It's Ollie" he announces. Without a second thought, he pulls the front door open.

Ollie turns, she'd had her back to him and was glancing around frantically. When the door opens, she pivots and hurries forward. "Do you know that there's a group of raiders not too far from here?"

"What?" Luke gasps. He reaches for Ollie's arm and pulls her into the cabin. He's surprised when she steps forward to lock the door.

"There's a lot of them. I counted at least twenty."

Clementine frowns, remembering the men that attacked her and Christa.

"How far?" Luke asks hurriedly.

"Not very. Maybe a mile or two. I nearly ran right into them."

The frown on Luke's face is deep when he turns to Clem. It startles her hostility towards Ollie away in a flash. "Clem, go get everyone up. Tell them we have trouble." She does do immediately and Luke turns back to Ollie. "What were they doing?"

Ollie shakes her head and glances out the window. "They're prowling around in the woods. I didn't see a camp or anything nearby so I think they're looking for something."

"Were they armed?" he presses.

"Yes." The word sends chills down Luke's spine. The two of them glance at the stairs when they hear the sounds of the group waking up. Pete is the first one down and he seems a little shocked seeing Ollie here as well. The others have similar reactions but less friendly. Rebecca is livid.

"She's back? You let her come back?"

"She," Luke steps forward protectively, "came back to warn us." He turns his gaze to Pete and Nick. "There's bandits not too far from here."

"They're looking for something" Ollie chimes in. Glares turn on her but she hides the way it makes her feel.

"You?" Rebecca snaps.

"Rebecca" Carlos warns.

"She could be right" Alvin agrees but not nearly as hateful as Rebecca. He's wary when he looks at the girl. "We don't know a thing about this girl or what she was doing in the woods before. Maybe she deserted them. Maybe they're looking for her."

"I'm not…"

"We don't have time for this" Pete argues. "Either way she did us a favor and we have bandits to deal with now."

"We need to get these lights out" Carlos says. "Ollie, help me."

Stepping past the group, Ollie can feel their stares on her back and the tension rolling off of them. She doesn't like the feeling and wants to look past them and at the floor but she doesn't dare show them that she's uncomfortable. She keeps her eyes forward as she passes and follows Carlos into the kitchen. There's a couple of candles in the room. Ollie heads over to one corner and Carlos to the other. She licks her fingers and snubs out the candles.

Carlos doesn't speak until they are upstairs in the hallway. "What were you doing in the woods?"

"When?" Ollie asks, caution clear in her voice. She trusts Luke because he trusts her. Anyone else is a different story.

"Before Luke found you."

"I was just… moving. I was looking for a place to settle. At least for a little while."

"You're home wasn't good enough?" Carlos snubs another candle, the last candle, and the whole house is plagued with darkness.

"My last home was Chicago." Carlos narrows his eyes in confusion. "It was… uninhabitable. The south was the last place I'd heard about being safe, the last place the government said to try and get to."

There's hesitation but Ollie doesn't move back downstairs. She's a little wary of this man and being in the dark doesn't make things any better. She doesn't want her back to him and certainly not while she's going down the stairs. She watches Carlos through the dark while he tries to formulate the words he wants to say. "How long were you alone?" he finally asks.

"Long enough to know not to join the raiders, if that's what you're wondering." There's almost a smile in her voice when she answers. There's no malice, just an olive branch. This makes Carlos smile sadly.

"Raiders huh? You really are from Chicago. We call them bandits here."

The two head for the stairs, each keeping a hand on the railing or wall to keep from falling in the dark. The group in the living room seems more organized now. Any and all guns are out. Luke is the only one talking as he's giving instructions. As soon as Carlos and Ollie get down, Sarah rushes over to her father. After quickly hugging her father, she stares at Ollie. "Who are you?"

"I'm…"

"Ollie" Luke calls. He pulls her over but Ollie hears Carlos explain to the young girl who she is.

"What's the plan?" she asks Luke.

"We're sticking out the night. Hopefully they'll pass us right by and not think twice about coming this way. Alvin, Carlos, Pete, and Nick are gonna stay up and keep watch. You and I are going to try and find them again. We'll run back and warn the others if they start heading this way. Maybe even try to turn 'em around if we can."

Luke's not really sure what Ollie will say. She may not want to come with. She may have only turned around to give the group a warning and then be on her way. But she's stayed this long and that has to mean something. Sure enough, Ollie agrees with a nod of her head. "Do you have experience with raiders?" she asks.

"Not too much" he admits. Luke turns to the group of men going to keep watch and nods a quick goodbye. "Be careful alright? If anything goes wrong get the girls and get out of here. Ollie and I'll catch up."

Rebecca snaps her head in Ollie's direction. Ollie looks somewhere else.

"You be careful as well" Alvin says to both of them.

"We will be" Luke answers. He holds the door open for Ollie and makes sure it closes behind them. When he turns back around, Ollie is already down the steps and scanning the tree line. She nods to Luke. "This way."

The two of them jog through the woods. Ollie is careful to run an arch around the path she originally took, not wanting to crash right into them. "How about you?" Luke whispers. "How much experience do you have with these types of guys?"

"More than enough for the two of us" she whispers back. Luke's forehead creases but he doesn't say anything else.

The two of them aren't running for long before Ollie throws her arm out and holds Luke back. She points ahead and ducks down. Luke follows her gaze and spots nearly a dozen bandits to the east. They're traveling in smaller groups staggered amongst the trees. Everyone that Luke sees has a gun. He realizes she was right too about them looking for something. They wouldn't be out here at night unless they were looking for something. And the way they carry themselves is hostile.

"They're closer than they were before" Ollie says so quietly Luke thinks he imagined her speaking.

"We need to try and turn them away."

"Got any ideas?" Ollie crouches lower when one of the raider's swings his head in their direction. She feels Luke's breath on her shoulder as he ducks as well.

"Not any good ones? You?"

Ollie kind of shrugs. Her eyes meet Luke's. "I've got one but I don't know how smart it is." When Luke doesn't say anything she silently slips her backpack off of her shoulders. He keeps watch around them but glances down at her for a second to see her pull out an object wrapped in what looks like layers of old T-shirts. His eyes widen when she uncovers the object. It's a can with all kinds of nails and shrapnel sticking out and jostling around in it. "Get ready to run." She peeks over the foliage and launches the bomb at the farthest group of raiders. As soon as it's out of her hand she grabs Luke's wrist and starts to run back. The explosion is loud but nothing compared to the screams of the bandits when the bomb goes off.

"Is that really going to turn them around?" Luke whispers skeptically as they continue to run.

"No, but the walkers will."

Not a second later, the walkers start making themselves know with groans and mumbling. Chills run down Ollie's spine. They sound a lot closer than she had anticipated. It's difficult to see in the dark so she relies on the sound of them and they sound like they're all around. She keeps twisting her head, trying to scan the trees as best as she can. It'd be better if she saw one. Not seeing them only increases her panic.

Ollie is suddenly jerked to a halt by something tugging on her hair. She yelps at the pain in her scalp and then bites back a scream when her head is pulled backwards and her eyes meet the glossy greys of the walker that has its gnarled fingers locking in her hair.


	3. The Boat House

It takes Luke only a blink of an eye to see that Ollie has fallen behind. He hears her yelp and pivots quickly to see a lurker with a good grip on her long ponytail. She holds it back by the neck, her wrist dangerously close to its mouth. "Move your hand!" Luke commands. As soon as she does, it jerks forward to bite but Luke swings his machete before it can get close enough. "You ok?" he asks breathlessly. She nods and gets to her feet. "Alright, come on!"

Both of them are having a difficult time making out the walkers until they are close enough to attack. They seem to be popping out of the ground like weeds. Ollie and Luke are forced to make a lot of sharp dodges to avoid getting grabbed or bitten. Suddenly, Luke makes a sharp right. Ollie nearly trips trying to keep up with him. "We can't lead them back to the cabin" he explains, grabbing her arm and pulling her along to catch up.

Luke skids to a halt and Ollie crashes into his back. There's a pack of walkers about ten feet away. Ollie quickly reaches out and pulls out her bat. Her eyes scan the trees for a way around but they seem to appear between all the spaces. The groaning behind them only gets louder as the other ones are able to catch up. "Luke…"

"I know" he says. His adrenaline is pumping and he feels his legs start to burn from running so long and so much. He too searches for an out but there doesn't appear to be one. "We're going to charge them. Get ready."

He takes off like a bullet. Ollie charges on his right. There are two that are relatively close to her. The first she is able to smash the skull with her bat but the other takes that second as an opportunity to wrap it's hand around her bicep. She feels its tight grip and hears its jaws chomping on air. With a grunt she kicks it directly in the chest and it releases her.

Luke curses when a lurker takes advantage of his fixation on another lurker to make its attack. It lunges with enough force to knock Luke back a step. As he struggles to regain his footing, his heel catches on a root and he tumbles onto his back, the lurker coming with him. His eyes widen in horror. He can smell the awful decay of the lurker and feels his stomach roll. It slashes widely at him and nearly takes Luke's eye out with its nails. Luke gets his foot on its stomach and his hands grab its hands, trying to keep it at bay. But the lurker fights with determination and makes a few close bites in Luke's direction. He yells something incoherent and gets ready to roll to try and get the upper hand but then he feels warm blood splatter on his cheeks and sees the walker's skull collapse in. Luke shoves the lurker away and is pulled up by a worried looking Ollie. There's no time to talk, the small space between the walkers they've made closing ever second, but he sees the concern in her eyes. All he can do in thanks is squeeze her hand as she runs alongside him.

Ollie and Luke are breathing hard and their muscles are screaming from overuse by the time they start getting a good amount of distance between them and the walkers. They can no longer here the gunshots from the raiders and the groaning of the lurkers isn't as clear as it was before. This part of the woods is darker though, under a thicker canopy of leaves and branches, and it's harder to make out threats. They never see the sudden drop off of the hill until the two of them are careening down it in a jumble of limbs, dirt, and rocks. To Ollie, it feels like they are falling for eternity. She feels every time a rock bumps her sore ribs and every time Luke's boot smacks her cheek. Her face rubs against the earth roughly. She cries out in pain but the noise is lost in Luke's shout of surprise. Their abrupt stop is just as rough as the fall. Luke lands first and gets the wind knocked out of him when Ollie's elbow jabs his stomach. Ollie's head hits the ground hard. So hard that when Luke squirms out from under her, her vision starts to blur and fade out.

He's yelling to her but her ears feel blocked. When she blinks it feels slow and like there is glue on her eyelids, trying to keep them together. She closes them and just breathes for however long until she's able to open her eyes and clearly see Luke's worried face hovering over her. "Ollie? Stay with me, ok?"

"I'm fine" she groans out, struggling to her feet. Her head feels extremely heavy on her shoulders when she stands and she leans heavily on Luke who wraps an arm around her shoulders. "We have to keep going."

Luke frowns, clearly worried because she seems to be relying on him to stay standing. But he can't argue with her. He's not sure where the lurkers are and it's not a good idea to just be sitting in the open. They need some kind of shelter. At least for a little while.

Luke gets an idea and starts pulling Ollie in the direction he, Nick, and Pete would fish at. Ollie feels heavy on his side but he can tell she's trying her best to keep up. "Just a little further" he encourages her. A lurker emerges from the foliage only a foot to Luke's left. He quickly pulls Ollie in the opposite direction, nearly dragging her.

There's one walker that tails the two of them all the way to the river. Luke quickly scans the area for more but it's too dark to get a good view across the water. For all he knows the bank could be swarming with them. But his eyes land on the small boathouse just across the river. "Come on Ollie" he says.

The water isn't moving fast which is a relief, but it's cold as ice. Luke winces and Ollie shivers as the water instantly soaks her boots, socks, and feet. They take a few more steps in and the water reaches their knees. Ollie leans more heavily on Luke, using his hip to keep herself up against the current. "Luke…" she tries to warn him as her dizziness comes back and she struggles to walk straight. He catches her around the waist and pulls her along. "We're almost there" he says to her and to himself. The rocks at the bottom of the river make his movements unsteady and Ollie's nearly drunk. He dares a glance back and breathes a sigh of relief that the lurker is trapped on the other side. He scans the bank quickly for any others. It seems safe but he doesn't want to take any chances. "Almost there" he says again. He panics when he feels how unstable and unresponsive Ollie is.

The boathouse is extremely tiny. It just barely manages to hold a small motorboat and that takes up almost all of the ground space. Luke takes a second to help Ollie into the boat and then locks the door with a rusty fishing rod shoved through the holes where a padlock would have went before. "That should be good" he tries to assure himself. He takes a second to breathe before he turns back to Ollie to deal with the next crisis.

Ollie's lying on the floor of the boat on a tattered old blanket. In the dark of the shed the only light is what peaks through the wood boards. It's just enough for him to see that her eyes are closed.

Luke carefully crawls into the boat as well and sits beside Ollie's head. "Ollie?" he calls gently. "You alright?"

"I'm fine" she insists, keeping her eyes closed. "Just dizzy."

"What happened?" He isn't sure exactly what happened to her but he has a feeling something happened in the fall.

"I hit my head pretty hard."

"Do you think you have a concussion?" Luke nervously cups the back of his neck. He's not a doctor and he has no idea what he'd do if she did have something really wrong with her.

Ollie is quiet for a moment and this scares Luke. "No, I don't think so. I'd be nauseous. I'll be alright."

Luke isn't quite satisfied with that answer. He felt the way she could barely hold herself up. He slips the backpack from her shoulders and then carefully places his hands on the sides of her head. "Let me see" he says softly. Her head is weak in his hands and he's careful to set her head down softly on his lap. It's too dark to see much of anything so instead her runs his fingers gently across her scalp, feeling for any bumps. When he touches the back of her head Ollie winces visibly and lets out a little gasp of pain. "Sorry!" Luke quickly pulls his hands away. He had felt the bump though. It wasn't too big but it worries him enough to bite his lip.

"It's alright" Ollie says once the pain has subsided. She keeps her head on his lap and closes her eyes for a second, reveling in the moment to breathe. "So what's the plan now?"

Luke glances at the door, half expecting to see it rock with the weight of a walker pushing down on it. He knows that they are out there not too far away. He's spent enough time fighting off the lurkers to know it will take some time for them to scatter from the area, hopefully after the bandits. A part of him wants to take a chance now but looking at Ollie laying in the boat and the bump on her head, he knows she's not ready to move. He could leave her. He probably should. He needs to get to the others.

His silence makes her frown. Ollie is thinking along the same lines. He should probably leave. She knows that the others still could be in danger and that the sooner he gets back the better it will be. But she doesn't tell him to go. Her head is throbbing and she feels dizzy even just laying here. She didn't expect to stay with Luke or his group and she's not sure that she'd want to, but she doesn't want to be left alone right now. She's in no condition to fight and she knows it. If he'll just stay for an hour or so until she can stand and run on her own then everything should be alright.

Neither of them says anything. Luke keeps his eyes on the door and his thoughts on the group. They're smart and they have Pete and Nick. Those two will figure something out. Lazily, Luke strokes Ollie's hair. It sends shivers down Ollie's spine. It's been a long time since she's been close to another person and she can't remember the last time someone held her. Even if what Luke is doing doesn't really count as _holding_ her, it's nice and it's soothing. Going it alone for so long she almost forgot how nice it is to have someone else who cares about you, even just a little bit.

"Where'd you get that bomb?" Luke finally asks, breaking the silence.

Ollie had tensed up, thinking when he started speaking that he heard something or saw something. It's a relief that he only is asking about the bomb. "My friend knew how to make them… well, kind of. She made a few that didn't work. She left that one with me."

Luke's forehead creases. His hand stops threading through her hair. "I thought you were alone?" He feels the small creep of panic run down his back. She had lied to him. God only knows how many of her people are out there. And she took Luke away from the group, maybe so that they could attack. She had played them.

Before he can do anything brash, she clarifies. "She died." Instantly, any hostile feelings in Luke turn sympathetic. "It was a while ago" Ollie continues. Her eyes are distant and staring at nothing. "She was the only one I could convince to leave with me…"

"You said…"

"I just said that _they_ wouldn't listen. Sara did." It's silent for a moment as Luke takes this in. After a couple heartbeats, Ollie smiles. "She was stubborn as hell. She used to get us into trouble. Remember how I said I've had quite a few run-ins with the raiders? Well Sara always used to make it worse. She could never just give them what they wanted or run. She always picked a fight with them."

Luke bites his lip. He wants to know if this girl was killed by bandits or if it was something else. But there's no good way to ask something like that. Still, he wishes he could ask because it would give him better insight to this girl laying in his lap.

Pale blue eyes meet his chocolate ones. "You can ask you know." He gives her a look. "You want to know how she died. I can see it in your face. It's alright to ask. I owe you that much for sticking with me and dragging me along. It was raiders. We got into a fight that we couldn't win."

"I'm sorry" Luke says a moment too late. He curses himself for hesitating and the way his voice is tight. He tries to make up for it and tells her he's lost people as well; he knows how hard it is.

Ollie just nods. "It seems everyone's lost someone. It's really tough out there."

Luke glances back at the door, thinking of all the walkers out there. He nods as well. Subconsciously his fingers start to lace through her hair again.


End file.
